NI death rate increases in the last quarter of 2020

NEW official figures for Northern Ireland show there were fewer marriages, more births and a higher death rate in the last quarter of 2020 as Covid-19 raged.

The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) released provisional data on local registrations for the period covering October 1 to December 31 last year.

A total of 4,786 deaths were registered in this period, showing the rate of deaths per 1,000 had increased to 10.1 from 8.1 in the previous quarter.

Covid-19 was the underlying cause of death in 819 cases (17.1%) in the final quarter, and the total for 2020 was 1,626 (9.2%).

In the same quarter, cancer accounted for 1,130 (23.6%) deaths, non-covid respiratory conditions for 444 (9.3%), and heart disease for 396 (8.3%).

A total of 44 suicides (including events of undetermined intent) were registered in the last quarter, with the 2020 total 263.

This is 66 more than in 2019, but these should not be interpreted as suicides during lockdown periods due to the time taken by coroners to investigate and subsequently register deaths.

During the quarter, 5,582 births, 1,294 marriages and 12 civil partnerships were registered. In the same quarter in 2019, there were 5,322 births, 1,469 marriages and 16 civil partnerships.

NISRA stated that the lower number of marriages may have been as a result of the coronavirus restrictions.

While the number of births are comparable to previous years, the true figure may be higher as some Register Offices have given continued priority to death registrations.

Of the 1,294 registered marriages in Quarter 4, 111 (8.6%) were same-sex marriages (including civil and religious marriages) out of a total of 158 in 2020. Just over half (55% or 61) of the same-sex marriages were between women, and over twothirds (77) of same-sex marriages were conversions from a previous civil partnership.

No opposite-sex civil partnerships, or conversions from a previous marriage, were registered in Northern Ireland in 2020.

The regulations allowing same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland first came into effect last January, with the first civil marriage taking place a month later.

Same-sex religious marriage became legal by September while the law changed in December to allow a same-sex couple to convert to a civil partnership.